Huntsman downgrades N.H. expectations

By BYRON TAU

01/08/2012 09:10 AM EST

Jon Huntsman says he expects to do "well" in Tuesday's New Hampshire primary, backing off earlier claims that his campaign will win outright.

"We're going to do well," the Republican presidential contender said in an interview aired Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union." "You try [to] forecast to the best of your ability based on the information you have. What holds true is the fact that we're going to beat market expectations."

The former Utah governor had told host Candy Crowley three weeks ago that "we're going to win the New Hampshire primary."

He said the pundit class would set the bar for his campaign — but that he expected to clear that bar and pull off a surprisingly strong showing in the first-in-the-nation presidential primary.

"The pundits who are following the race — they will determine what the bar is that we must clear on Tuesday," he said. "We have to clear that hurdle when we wake up on Wednesday."

"I know what I think we're capable of doing," Huntsman said. "We've been to all 10 counties multiple times. You can look at the polls, but they're a snapshot of various factors"